eden
by Cheisayume
Summary: We live on a planet that is retaking its breaths, and using us as oxygen. [oneshot; Gajeel x Levy]


**Welcome to a new world. Completely separate and only to be brought in as a oneshot. I hope you like this one. It's a bit sad, but I think it's fairly beautiful. Some of the character designs are going to be posted to my deviantART account, dreamsofmercury.**

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><p><em>I don't suppose you truly know of this world—it is said that we are one of the most poor planets. But I don't believe that. I believe that we are truly the richest. For although we have lost most of our greenery and beauty that once shrouded the land as a cloak of fertility… we still have each other. Recently this planet, which has not seen war for centuries, came across a disease of sorts right after a meteor fell from the red cloaked sky, still in the middle stages of sunset. First it affects the trees and plants, even the ground we walk upon. You can tell where an affected area is, for it grows with more nutrients and greenery than any other place does. However when a human is to set foot or take fruit from these parts… the consequences are fatal. It is called Eden-sickness.<em>

_Just in the past month, we have discovered that this sickness can spread from person to person. Through the sharing of blood. This may seem strange to an outsider who is only reading our story… but to us, this is a very hard truth. I will explain its importance later._

_It takes a full moon cycle for the body to die. For it kills you slowly. My grandfather was one of the first to have it. And as he lay upon his bed, he took my hand and told me that he had never been happier than the month that he was infected. I did not ask him why, though my cousin did, tears rolling down her cheeks. He didn't give her an answer. He only wiped away those tears with his thumb and told her that she was wasting the precious water that we are given._

_I think I understood why he was happy. This world is finally rejuvenating itself… and it has come up with the correct conclusion that we, as humans, were the cause of its near death experience in the first place. We have now lost the right to live upon her surface. The animals, however, are not affected. We can graze our elk on the ground that erupts with vitality. With emerald lush greenery. They can suckle the rivers until their bellies are full without extracting the disease. But if we are to eat them, we will die. Therefore only animals used as pets and transportation are seen in these fairytale forests._

_I live in a village known as Terrae. I was born here, and have seen the deaths of my parents up against a wall close to my home. Though we do not have wars, we have mercenaries who ride out on their elks to gather supplies for their own villages. Ours is a lucky one. We do have enough food to support everyone, but that also makes us unlucky. For we are often the point most targeted when it comes to these raids. I have seen children kidnapped. I have hidden below floorboards in my neighbor's houses while their own parents were murdered above and their houses pillaged. Hence the reason as to why there are more elderly people here and teenagers and younger children here being cared for by their older siblings. There is nothing we can do, though we would like to. They have greater weapons than we ourselves do—it would be running to our own death if we tried to rebel against their acts of terror._

_We survive, however, despite the sadness all around us. We grow tactically, and the wisdom of our elders helps us to become better farmers even in the dirt that produces little to no food. We use the caverns under our homes as a safe route of escape should the mercenaries return. The branches that fall from the tall umbrella-like trees that dot our homeland are used to make baskets and we can even make medicine from them if we harvest them right. The rocks are used for paint, which is put on our oldest elks before we kill them for food. Their bones are made into weapons and their flesh is salted and dried, an easy way to keep it good for an extended period of time. We never waste a single piece._

_Yet we have not been able to send our relatives to their promised land. The sharing of blood prevents this now. With the chance of one having Eden-sickness and not showing the signs of it yet, we cannot drop any blood into the Cup of Forgiveness, a bowl which is mixed with elk milk and is shared by each one of us as a tradition passed down for centuries. We can only beg the forgiveness of the spirits who are still connected to their past bodies, and tell them that we are selfish to not want the same disease that they themselves suffered from._

_We have given up our last names… for we do not wish the Gods to see us as an individual person. If we are to be punished, those without their birth name will be the only ones kneeling before them. Begging for whatever must be done to atone for the sins we have committed. My name is Gajeel. And I live on a planet that is retaking its breaths, and using us as oxygen._

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><p>The man rode into the village with three bags of supplies, food and grain, on his person. Two across the back of his elk, a female called Rhaea, and one slung along his spine. His and her shadow cut darkness across the cracked, dry ground.<p>

Gajeel had just come from Vye, a settlement about two days ride from Terrae, his home. With a young elk to trade in for whatever he could get, Gajeel had made quick business of the matter, handing over the young animal his village was known for using as transportation means instead of meat, and taking in the load he had gotten in return.

He slid from Rhaea's back and led her the rest of the way, setting the bags in front of Makarov's house before continuing on. Not minutes later he tugged on his elk's reins, stopping her lazy walk with a jerk and watched as four children ran after one another, bruises, cuts and scrapes all over them. He saw a dash of pale hair and immediately raised his voice, to which all the children stopped.

"Melody, wait a moment!" A small child broke away from the group of tumbling children and slowly approached the man, as if she wasn't very pleased she had been taken away from her games. And this was the truth.

"Where is Lily?" The girl shrugged, a toothless grin still stuck to her stupid, dirty face, and then took off after her group of friends. One of the boys she was with hollered back at him though before they were completely out of sight.

"A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WENT OUT TO SEE THE SMOKE!"

"The sm…" he looked in the direction of which the child was pointing and found his eyes narrowing at the sight. Miles away was the Eden forest, a place where no one dare venture to. And coming from that direction was a barely visible, but definitely there, plume of smoke. Gajeel took a deep breath and grabbed a hold of Rhaea's neck area, heaving himself back up onto her sturdy back. He squeezed with both legs and she took off.

The fact that there was something happening in, or relatively near to the Eden forest was not the most humble thing he'd ever heard. In fact, it was on the other side of the spectrum.

When Gajeel showed up, he had to push his and Rhaea's way through a mass number of people. They weren't moving, but they were unusually close to the Eden forest. When he made it to the front, he knew why. A fighter space unit… something only seen every decade or so, had crash landed inside the forest, and was causing a commotion among the villagers that had been close enough to see it. Smoke and sparks mingled in the same area… mixing with one another to create a sort of depressed look of paradise. The grass was already starting to take over the expensive space module. Gajeel peered a little higher and found that there was still a pilot in the cockpit. His heart hammered.

What if that had been him in the seat? What if he was unconscious and unaware of the situation he was in? Wouldn't he want someone to save him? The man looked back to find that some of the villagers were leaving, their tools for cultivating the dry land perched across their shoulder blades like a lazy reaper's scythe. The others were talking amongst themselves. He knew why they were hesitating. Most of the people here were children, much younger than him. The oldest was himself, and the next was a boy called Lyon, who had just turned 18.

When it was obvious that no one else was going to even make it another step forward, Gajeel turned back to the scene and took a deep breath. He held it as he urged his elk forward, into the Eden forest. Rhaea, though an excellent elk, was still perturbed by the sight, scent and sound of the fire and vines engulfing the space flier. She held her head high, a sign that she was uncomfortable, and her ears were fully forward, not intending to listen to any words Gajeel might try to soothe her with.

As quickly as he could, Gajeel maneuvered his mount close to the flier and hopped off, urgency pounding the blood through his veins. He held an arm next to his face as he jumped up on the steel part of the machine, the distance between him and the cockpit closing rapidly. His eyes watered as smoke and embers rushed his face. But those flames… they were slowly being extinguished by the vines growing up the side of the plane itself. And that's where Gajeel had to take his first breath. It is hard, knowing that you are going to contract a fatal sickness when you breathe in a single gulp of air. But if he held his breath any longer, he would most likely faint. So he opened his mouth, and sucked in. It was disgusting. Smoke, ash, the smell of gas… it all bombarded his senses. But he had no time to spare. If it smelled like propane, then the thing was probably leaking. Which meant… Gajeel looked back at the people still gathered closeby. He waved his hand dramatically, a signal for them to go away. A few took his word for it and turned back to Terrae. The others, the more curious and adventurous ones, few, stayed.

Gajeel could not be bothered with them now. Instead he began to fumble with the body belt around the pilot. The jacket they were wearing was charred, and getting in the way of his untrained hands. How was he supposed to know how this thing worked? He'd never been as close to a flier as he was now.. Suddenly the sound of liquid falling to the ground came and Gajeel's eyes found the source. The gas tanks. It was serious shit now. He reached out to Rhaea, who had slowly followed her master closer, and he fumbled with the sidebag on the collar round her neck. Seconds later, a knife flashed and he immediately put it to the material encasing the human. He cut off the straps connecting them to the plane, put the knife in one hand and tugged with all his might on the helmet. It came off almost immediately, revealing… a girl? Gajeel stared, stupefied by the sight. A GIRL PILOTING A SPACE FLIER?!

He shook his head clear of all thoughts that bound him to immobility and moved in towards her. Turning around so that his back was facing her unconscious form, he reached back and moved both of her arms over his shoulders, grabbed her legs and heaved forward. Then he began to run. Rhaea snorted in surprise when he swung a leg over her back and dug his heels into her side. She rocketed at the unusual touch, for heels are harsh things that bruise the skinny animals sides if used too often. With one hand on Rhaea's wooden collar and the other holding the girl to his back, Gajeel sped past the curious group of bystanders.

"GET AWAY!" He screamed, his voice sending them to their feet. Gajeel didn't even have to tell them twice to get moving straight away. The three people that had stayed took off instantly. Not a minute after they took off, a loud bang, like that of the mercenary's cannons, shattered the atmosphere. Looking over his shoulder, Gajeel found that the Eden forest was on fire. But he knew it wouldn't last long. The villagers had already tried to burn the forest many times. It only grew back thicker. Returning his vision forward, Gajeel hurried on. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, sending brilliant flashes of scarlet onto the deprived ground.

At the beginning of the village, Gajeel slowed Rhaea down, slapping her neck in admiration at her work ethic. The elk snorted and they continued onwards.

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><p>The next morning, Gajeel appeared from his small home, chewing on a dried piece of meat. He only had four more strips before he would have to rely on the hard tack that was known as the bread of Terrae. The guy walked for a bit, stating his hello's to those who lived near him, and made his way slowly to the pit.<p>

He crouched beside the hole in the ground that the girl had been put in. Grinning down at her, he spoke. "Hey."

Her blue head turned, her hair messy and a bit frayed from her crash landing. On one side, it was uneven. Most likely from when he had dragged her out and her helmet had gotten caught on the latch. Using the knife to take off her chin strap may not have been the best idea. She didn't reply to him, she only measured him up and braced her hands on the ground. She thought she was prey.

"Do you speak this language?" The answer was most likely no. But after a while, she nodded her head. His eyes lit up and his grin became even more cruel-looking. "Then you are from this planet?" Again a little while passed before she shook her head no. This dampened his spirits quite a bit and Gajeel frowned. He removed the door made of elk bones tied with hair and extended his hand. "Come."

Surprisingly she took it, her gloved hand sliding into his rough one. He marveled at her weight as he half helped and half pulled her out of the pit. Her outfit was charred, burned and darkened from her crash. And in this heat, she was probably wishing she didn't have it.

"Makarov is the eldest man we have in our village. He will tell us what to do with you." The girl stayed emotionless as he gathered both her wrists and held them with one strong hand. He towered over her, as he did with most people. The looks gained from the villagers didn't help. Gajeel did his best to shield her from them, walking faster and keeping his own gaze straightforward. When they reached the place he was aiming to get to, Gajeel pushed her inside past the red elk pelt and ducked in after her.

They were greeted by both Makarov, and the strongest man, Lily. Both turned to acknowledge the newcomers, though Lily said nothing as they dropped to a seat where Makarov had waved his hand.

"So this is the fallen star?" Makarov narrowed his eyes as he stood up and moved towards them. He snatched up the girls chin and looked at her from both sides. She seemed bored by this and he chuckled as he let her go.

"I am sure she means no harm. She has been rid of her weapons?" Gajeel nodded, and her eyes widened in surprise. The first emotion she had shown since her arrival here. Lily snorted, then coughed it away, wiping a hand over his mouth, unconsciously turning his head so that his scar was on the side that would not be seen.

"And her transport and communications were destroyed by Eden?" Gajeel nodded once again. "You're the only one to be in contact with her then…" The girl watched as the man beside her winced. "You are no longer allowed to share drink or meal with us, Gajeel. Do not touch others, do not offer help." He grumbled in agreement and then stood up. When the girl did not follow, he grabbed her arm and yanked her up with him.

"If you need clothes that will fit her, my home is always welcome." Lily called out after them. The girl seemed confused by this, but Gajeel was sincerely thankful. And that's where they went first.

"What's your name?" When she didn't reply, he shrugged. "I could always give you a name."

"Levy." A pause. "Levy Mc-." A hand flew over her mouth. Her eyes rounded and flew up Gajeel's arm.

"We do not have last names here. If you wish to keep yours, then save it for your own thoughts. I am Gajeel." He opened up a trunk that had a thick layer of dust over it and began to finger through the articles, finally throwing the girl a modest long shirt made by a village far away, with pants that reached just past her knees to match. "Try those on. If they do not fit, you will have to make your own."

"Whose are these?"

"Lily's wife's."

"Won't she be upset if-." Again he cut her off.

"She passed many weeks ago. It is a great honor to be given clothes. If you do not want them, then go naked." First sadness, then heat rose to her cheeks. She blew air into her mouth, puffed up her cheeks, turned on her heel and strode into a different area of the small house.

When she returned, she looked as if she had been in this village her entire life. Gajeel stared as she did a twirl and looked at him for approval. He turned his head and motioned for her to follow. Her eyebrow twitched. When he turned back to her, he had a small box open and had grabbed many a trinket from it. He sat her down with him and then began to braid many a small thing into her hair. First a piece of antler from an elk. To show she was now a part of the village. Then a feather from a crow, for she had come from the sky. And then he took three beads from his own hair and placed them into her locks as well. For since they were both not allowed to touch others or share meals with the family, they would be considered as a pair. Not in a marital way or even a sibling way, but rather in an outcast sense. To finish it off, he took a cloth from his wrist and tied her hair back with a makeshift bandana.

During this whole process, Levy sat absolutely still. She was a young pilot for Septima, and during a Rank H fight had been shot out of the fight. Her ship had been close to the atmosphere of this planet and had been drawn into the layers that played with gravity, sucking her into its grip. She remembered the red and yellow lights flashing all around her, her fingers fumbling for the ejection button, and then finally, going unconscious. What had happened to her since then? How had she been found by this village? And why had she been paired with this man? Only he knew. So she dared to ask.

"How did I get here?" He snorted, still trying to tie off the cloth.

"You tell me—you're the one that fell from the sky."

"No, I meant, here. In this village." He'd successfully knotted the thing and sat back, closed the lid on the box and returned it to a bigger box.

"I saved you."

"Then why-."

"Because you were in Eden."

"Eden?" Gajeel sighed and took a wooden clip earring from his ear and attached it to hers. The more she looked like them, the more she would be left alone.

"The only place the forest will grow. But it kills off humans if we are to set foot on it. Even breathing it in will infect you with Eden-sickness." Levy was quiet for a while, and she stood, following him when he started to move in the direction of the door.

"Why did you save me then?" A gruff reply came hurtling back at her.

"Because no one else was going to."

"But… doesn't it spread?" Now he was the one to not speak. And he didn't for a long time.

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><p>That day, Levy was kept far away from others—and it's not as if the curiosity got to the inhabitants of the village. The people of Terrae were quite happy to keep their distance. Only the children peered past their parents tanned arms and strong legs as they were ushered away. Levy could not blame them. If she was indeed infected, she wouldn't want her smaller brother or sister getting anywhere near the person who had it.<p>

And that night, Gajeel had given up his sleeping area to her, taking a single skin and choosing to sleep outside, propped up against a side of the house. For it is frowned upon for an unmarried man and woman and spend a night under the same roof once they are past the age of thirteen. He woke up to her screaming one night, and he rushed in, his knife, carved from an elk's skeleton, held tightly in his hand.

"LEVY?!" The screaming only continued, shrill and skull splitting. Gajeel charged into the room to find Levy with her hands over her ears, eyes tightly shut and shoulders caving in around her. He looked around quickly, eyes already adjusted to the low light, searching frantically for a shape of a man. But he found none. The screams turned to muffled cries as Levy put her hand on her mouth, trying to calm herself down by drowning out the noise. Gajeel turned to her, and tried again, approaching slowly and setting the knife down.

"Levy? Levy can you hear me?" She didn't respond, only squeezed her eyes ever the more tight. "Calm down, you're fine. There's nothing bad here." She shook her head violently, tears raking their way down her cheeks. "Stop it—you'll make yourself sick. It'll be a pain to—."

"I killed her!" Gajeel felt his breath stop.

"You killed who?"

"My flier partner!" Oh. He breathed out. "I wasn't paying attention to the radar. I should have seen them. They were right THERE!"

"Stop shouting."

"BUT SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF ME!" The fact that she had not listened to him had Gajeel stomping towards her. She opened her eyes for a split second when she heard the sound and began to scream as his hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut. Up. If you shout, you'll scare all of Terrae into believing the killers have come. Children will cry and flee into the floors. They're probably already starting to cry. Shouting means that they might see another person's guts upon their walls when they wake up. Shouting means that they'll lose a precious friend by morning. Shouting means danger here. Do not shout. Ever."

The girl hiccupped, breathing in rapid gasps. Gajeel lowered his hand and sat with his back to her, next to her on the floor, padded with two skins from previous trades.

"It's not your fault. She signed herself up for the job. She knew what might happen, just as you did."

Levy said nothing else. It would turn out that she lost her voice the next day from crying throughout the night—but Gajeel stayed with her the whole time. He did not once leave her side before the sun reappeared. He sat beside her, unmoving.

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><p>Days passed by slowly. The girl was not used to the heat of this world, and she suffered drastically from it. From night terrors to dehydration, she seemed to be full of all sorts of problems. However, as the time went by, so did the distance between the two. Levy found herself able to speak about things she would only tell her flier partner. She discussed the troubles surrounding her own home planet, her family that she left behind to try and support, the troubles of pilot training… Gajeel listened to her with the emotional capacity of a grain of sand. However she did find him looking her way every once in a while. But as soon as their eyes met, he would turn away once more.<p>

There wasn't much to do within Terrae—or rather, that they could do being labelled as infectious. But this was solved fairly quickly as soon as Gajeel mentioned acid geysers. From then on, they spent each day doing something different. Levy would speak about her home planet, and then Gajeel would show her the remnants of his own. He would explain to her what the world used to be like, and would delve into stories that kept Levy rooted to her seat.

They grew closer as the days turned to weeks. Levy was able to sincerely pass as a Terrae born. But their internal clock was ticking. Gajeel brought it up one night before he was to go outside and sleep… but after he mentioned it, he waved his hand, dismissing the matter, and made position to leave. But Levy grabbed his sleeve before he could take the first step.

"Gajeel?"

"What now, shorty?"

"I want to go home." It was like a stake being driven into the man's gut. He breathed in, then out… then in again. And in a sweeping motion, he knelt back down beside her where she was completely vulnerable and pressed his lips firmly up against her own. Startled, the girl didn't know what to do. By the time she gathered her thoughts again, he had already pulled back. Silence passed between them as bread is done at the table. Gajeel's lips were parted still, his hammering heart causing his breath to become a bit audible. Levy brought her fingers up to her own lips, still surprised from his action. Then Gajeel began to move again. She had said nothing, and therefore, it was a rejection. Or so he believed. Levy reached forward once more and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down to the ground with a fluid motion. This time, it was she who met his lips with her own.

And he returned the touch with a fiery earnest.

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><p>The next day, the two left in the late afternoon to just go climb to the top of a hill that used to be considered sacred before the earth blew her last candle. Having awoken at noon, this was the only thing they could do besides stay cooped up in the house all day. They travelled for hours, so long that even night had pulled a piece of wool over the sun before they got to the top. But this was because they were talking as Rhaea lazily picked her way up the rocky slope.<p>

Just as the duet reached the top of the high hill, a tall light flew up from the ground behind them, followed by an ear-piercing bang that had Rhaea scuttling in dismay. Gajeel struggled, pulling on her bitless bridle to keep her from losing it entirely. He didn't feel like being thrown to the ground today. The arms around his waist tightened with uncertainty, and a head was pressed up against his spinal column. Gajeel brought on of his hands to his thigh and waited a while, with his elk turning in circles, for her to calm herself down. When she did, her nares flared with caution and Gajeel had the ability to look back down towards where they had come from. Levy peered out from behind him, her blue hair blowing all around her face in the night wind. What they saw was nothing short of sickening. Levy intook her breath and Gajeel felt rage pile within his heart. Down below, in his village, full of only children and elderly people, the mercenaries had taken things to the extremes. Houses were burning… which meant that all the hidden ones would be forced to retreat to the caverns. The outlet for them… Gajeel turned his head, the beads in his hair clinking against one another as he did. The end of the cavern was also on fire. From far away, even in this moonless night, you could see the smoke rising up against the stars. With malice turning his gears, he screamed as he urged Rhaea into a dead run down the steep cliff. Levy stifled a scream and practically dug her heels into the creature's side, which only urged the animal to go quicker. Knowing this, Gajeel leaned back and did his best not to cling to his elk too much. They stumbled and slid down the rocky surface, and when they hit flat ground, Rhaea took off like a hit from a laser. Her spindly legs flew across the terrain, kicking up rocks and dust as she went, carrying her two riders as quickly as she could. But with a close bomb going off to her left, she stopped abruptly, nearly throwing her load. Gajeel looked up after making sure Levy was still hanging onto the creature of prey. Ahead of him were hounds. Another animal that was used as transportation. Rhaea fiddled beneath them, clearly shaken by the sight of her natural predators, and by the weapon that had sent the earth shattering to their left. The mercenaries had established a boundary to make sure no one took their loot while they were extracting it from its harmless village. They all wore masks of skulls. A different village. A different clan. A different way of life.

"Gajeel they're coming towards us." The girl whispered into his ear. He knew that! He gritted his jaws together and looked from side to side, fists clenching on Rhaea's leather reins. The fire had spread to the tree tops now. The only cover they had from the hot sun. That's where their materials all came from… The hounds were approaching at top speed now. Gunshot rang through the already pillaged atmosphere. Screams, tears, battle cries… fire cracking the roots of their trees and sending them to the ground… "GAJEEL!"

"AAARRH!" Despair flew from his lips in the form of a feral guttural growl, rising to a scream, as he swung Rhaea around and urged her away from the mass genocide. He had no weapons on him. Only an elk who was likely to collapse if he pressed her for much longer, and a girl who was from a different solar system.

They rode for minutes on end, but still they were pursued. Gajeel knew that it was because only members of this village rode the elk of the northern valley. And if this was a genocide mission, then he was to be killed as well. But after a while, they stopped abruptly. For before them was a thick, green forest. Both riders looked over their shoulders as the hounds drew closer. A bullet whirred by their heads and Levy tightened her grasp on Gajeel. He was wracking his mind for possible routes. Another bullet. This one hit Levy in the leg and she screamed. Gajeel closed his eyes tightly. Wishing he could wish it all away. Everything. Everyone… Blood slipped down her thigh, wetting Rhaea's side with crimson. Gajeel kicked his heels into the elk's side and she obeyed without hesitation. They entered the Eden forest. The home of the Eden heart. Where the sickness first began.

The hounds did not follow. Why would they? Their riders were not the ones that were being forced into the area. They were the ones who were to murder all these villagers at whatever cost was necessary.

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><p>This time Gajeel didn't even bother trying to hold his breath. What good would it do? He was probably already infected with the sickness. Besides… the air here was clean… refreshing and untainted with the stench of blood and lead. Rhaea fled even deeper into the undergrowth, bringing her master and his company with her. When they were out of sight and sound of the chaos beyond them, the man pulled her up short and slid off of her. He wrapped his hands around the slim waist of the girl still on the animal and helped her down. Their bare feet were met with the soft lush comfort of moss and ferns.<p>

He left her without a word for a while, and in the darkness, she feared that he had abandoned her to the world. Given her up as a sacrifice to the forest itself. But he did return, and had a pouch full of water and had turned his shirt into a makeshift bag to carry numerous fruits in.

They ate and shared drink in silence. Gajeel made no move to speak and Levy said nothing either. She knew that now was not the time to speak about their fate. It was suddenly right before them… the timer for their death was ticking away, casting off numbers as a ship does waves.

"Hurry up and get some sleep. I'll wake you up when the sun rises." She watched with hooded eyes as he sat down after taking Rhaea's leather halter off and casting it away into a bush. It was not far from where he now sat with his arms crossed. Levy didn't find the courage to speak up until her head rested in the lap of the man from Terrae… and even then, her voice shook.

"Gajeel?"

"If you're not wanting to sleep without skins under your head, here." He put his hand on his lap. She was surprised by the offer, but, even after she complied and lay her head in his lap, she still had not been able to speak.

"Gajeel."

"What now?"

"This is all my fault." At that moment, his fingers cautiously found her hair and he began to rhythmically braid in flowers from the ground. In a way, it was sealing their destiny. But although he said nothing, she could feel him reject her words. "The group I work with sends pods to dead planets. They appear as meteorites do, a flame that seems to fall from the stars."

Gajeel hesitated a moment and her voice cracked, her hands flying to her face. "Your planet isn't trying to wipe you out, Gajeel… it's us. It has always been us. Septimal thinks that they can come up with a way to regrow the planets in order to sustain our home galaxy. But they can't figure out a way to make it so that the food reaped on those planets is non-toxic. They don't understand why the air there is so poisonous…" Gajeel continued to stroke the girl's hair even though he was no longer braiding her locks.

"I don't know what you're spewing, but there's been no meteorite around here for centuries." Her hiccups subsided a bit and she sniffled, peering through tear-filled eyes up at the dark haired man.

"…You're serious?" He seized this opportunity to gently pry her hands even further from her palette, and then he smeared his thumb across her cheek bones, wiping the tears away. It was.. soothing.

"Our planet may have heard about those other planets and decided that the best thing to do was try and regrow itself. The fruit here doesn't kill. The air… can't you smell it? It's cleaner than that back in the village. The water is crystal clear and we've not been killed just by drinking it… You're not to blame. We are merely being seen as an infection. That's all there is to it."

Levy swept the back of her hand over her eyes. "Th—thank goodness..." And in the dark there, she was finally able to close her eyes and have a fit-less night.

* * *

><p>They lasted a few days. And while they breathed, they were able to gather fruit which no man has had the chance to taste in centuries. They drank from the streams and danced with freedom in the soft rains that fell from the canopy. But on the fifth day, they found that they could not get up from where they lay right next to one another. Both Gajeel and Levy looked at each other and silently acknowledged the truth.<p>

Hours passed by with only the mere inching of grass creeping up their clothing. However as soon as the sun was at its highest, Gajeel could feel the vines slipping to his flesh. But despite the sounds his throat made, he had never breathed better in his entire life. The sun that came through the treetops was dappled on the ground… like the cascade of many stars, even though it was daytime. He turned his head to look into the eyes of the short girl who had come from the sky. A hand swept to hers and she gladly took it, intertwining her fingertips with his own. They fit perfectly. Flowers poked through her short hair, and leaves sprouted from the moss growing up her sides. She looked as if she belonged here, in this terrifying and fatal garden. A garden that sucked the life out of each skin cell. It wasn't unpleasant, however. Both he and Levy had realized this, even as their bodies were slowly being converted into ferns and mosses.

It grew up her cheek now, causing her hazel eyes to stand out among the emerald, cerulean and pale flesh colors. Gajeel strained to raise his other hand, the one not holding her own, to her cheek, brushing away a tear that had snuck its way past her careful guard. She pushed into the touch. Welcoming it. It was then that Gajeel realized that he himself had a line of wet remnants trickling down his face. Levy smiled softly and tightened her grip on his hand. He returned the gesture and watched as the light faded from her eyes, despite the sunshine falling through the trees. Moments later, he too could no longer see. Their chests heaved a final time, and then never rose nor fell again.

The greenery did not stop. It converted their bodies into beautiful parts of its ever-growing forest. They had given back to the earth that their ancestors had taken from. The creaking of the trees grew louder now, as the forest grows each day, spreading at least a foot in every direction. Everything here was peaceful. Serene. In a completely different world than that of the bloodshed happening just outside of its carefully protected borders.

* * *

><p>Days later, far away from the place where her lifelong master had drawn his last breath, Rhaea grazed in the heart of the Eden forest. She had dared to venture closer to the sound that only animals such as herself could hear. A low buzzing that flew on a different frequency than that which humans can pick up on. However she would not travel any closer than the crater that held strange pieces of metal in its earthen cradle. She raised her head, chewing on the lush grass. It was foggy and shadow-filled here… but every once in a while, the fog would disperse. And there, in the center of this crater, was a large pod, a red light blinking as a steady heartbeat at its end, close to the part with black letters sticking out of the ground. "…PTIMAL-006." Just as swiftly as the fog had cleared, it thickened and covered the crater once more. Rhaea paused, dropped her head and continued grazing.<p>

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><p><em>These worlds will never be inhabitable by the likes of those who are self-centered enough to play with human lives. They will rot in their metal ships soaring through a plethora of galaxies, as that which is poisonous to its home people will be poisonous to strangers. They will turn to dust, and only the worlds and animals will remain, as they should. They will grow healthy, and unbothered by the sins of man. My name is Gajeel Redfox and I am proud to give my life to a planet that will strike the true sickness from its place in the darkening skies.<em>

END.


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